Battle Ready (2004 book)

"Retired U.S. Marine General Anthony Zinni is 'Battle Ready' in the fourth book in Tom Clancy's nonfiction 'Commanders' series. General Zinni's nearly 40-year career, and the Corps' evolution during that time, supplies more than enough ammunition for Clancy's powerful storytelling. Iraq, Somalia, Vietnam, the Philippines, and other theaters of combat tested Zinni's mettle, but those tours did not surpass his diplomatic portfolio. Assignments as a troubleshooter in Africa, Asia, and Europe, as well as Secretary of State Colin L. Powell's special envoy to the Middle East, define Zinni as a warrior who can skillfully wage peace." Barnes and Noble.

On June 7, 2004, "Best-selling novelist Tom Clancy and Marine Gen. Tony Zinni (Ret.) talk with renowned radio host Jim Bohannon about Clancy's powerful new book, Battle Ready, which examines the art of war--and peace--through the eyes of one of America's outstanding commanders.

"In a masterful blend of history, biography, and you-are-there immediacy, Clancy and Zinni bring to life firsthand the Marine Corps' evolution; from the cauldron of Vietnam through the operational revolution of the '70s and '80s to the new realities of the post-Cold War and the radically different post-9/11 military.

"Tom Clancy, one of America's most prominent authors, is the author of 13 novels and the 'Commanders Series', of which Battle Ready is the fourth installment. ...

"Gen. Zinni (ret.) was Commander in Chief of CENTCOM and Secretary of State Colin L. Powell's special envoy to the Middle East."

"In his upcoming book, Battle Ready, written with Tom Clancy, Zinni writes of the poor planning in harsh terms. 'In the lead-up to the Iraq war and its later conduct, I saw, at minimum, true dereliction, negligence and irresponsibility; at worst, lying, incompetence and corruption,' he writes." [1]

"Of all the former Bush administration officials to have turned against the president, General Anthony Zinni sounds the angriest."

"But Battle Ready is still a milestone, for reasons that, paradoxically, have nothing to do with Zinni at all. It seems to have been mostly overlooked, but the co-writer of Battle Ready, and the man who gets top billing on its cover, is none other than Tom Clancy, the hugely popular author. Even if the general's criticisms don't make much of an impression, the identity of his Boswell might. Unlike Zinni, who is unknown to most Americans, Clancy is a cultural icon; his name is short-hand for the conservative, pro-military mindset typically associated with Republicans. By itself, Clancy's decision to lend his name to Zinni's book is not going to change any votes. But it's a telling indication of how precarious the president's carefully managed image as a friend of the U.S. military has become. When Ph.D. candidates of the future write the literary history of the Bush presidency, the day that a Republican administration became the bad guy in a Tom Clancy book will surely stand out as a cultural Rubicon crossed."

Go to the Penguin Group USA web site and click on "Excerpt" to read Chapter One: "Desert Fox" of the book.